Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to custom welding systems and customization methods. Welding systems in general are complex machines with many different parts, including power supplies, wire feeders, cables, guns, and so forth.
Typically, welding systems are sold as packaged systems with preselected, built-in components and accessory items. However, customized systems can be acquired via traditional techniques. For example, customers may use welding catalogs to order individual components in order to build their own customized welding systems. However, customizing a welding system using traditional techniques can be complicated. Indeed, many customers may not have sufficient knowledge to individually order all the necessary and correct components that they need in order to build a complete and viable welding system. The components of welding systems are not easily interchangeable because different components often have different specifications (e.g., power ratings and connector types), which results in compatibility issues between components. Accordingly, customization using traditional techniques requires knowledge of each component needed, their specifications (e.g., size, power rating, connector type), and whether or not each component is compatible with the others.
It is now recognized that customers have different and unique welding needs, which require welding systems with custom component sets suited to their needs. However, a desired functionality for a welding system may not be found in a prepackaged system. It is also now recognized that traditional alternatives to acquiring prepackaged systems, such as purchasing individual components from a catalog, present additional obstacles for customers desiring a customized system. Indeed, traditional requirements for customization of welding systems often prevent customers from obtaining all the components needed to build a complete and viable welding system. The conventional systems and methods of purchasing welding systems make it difficult for customers to obtain welding systems with all of the specifications desired by the customers. Thus, it is now recognized that there is a market need for an effective way for customers to purchase complete and functional custom welding systems that meet their unique needs.